What happened
On the afternoon of October 13, 2018, a paragliding flight near Mieroszów resulted in an accident. Shortly after takeoff from the launch site, the paraglider reached an altitude of approximately 10 meters when a sudden gust of wind caused a portion of the wing to collapse. Due to the extremely low altitude at the time of the collapse, the pilot was unable to reinflate the wing. Consequently, the aircraft impacted the ground.
Following the impact, the pilot lost consciousness for several minutes. Emergency responders, including a medical rescue team from Wałbrzych, a GOPR mountain rescue group, the Police, and an LPR helicopter, arrived at the scene. The pilot was transported via helicopter to a hospital in Wałbrzych. Upon arrival, medical staff identified subarachnoid hemorrhaging in the occipital region of the head, and the pilot was admitted to the neurosurgery department.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation established that the pilot's breathalyzer test showed 0.00 mg/l of alcohol. During a follow-up telephone interview with an investigator on October 24, 2018, the pilot reported that he had not sustained serious injuries and was recovering at home.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the collapse of part of the paraglider wing triggered by a sudden wind gust.
- The low altitude of the flight prevented the pilot from performing the necessary maneuvers to restore the wing's shape.